The
Marcato Press
The Music Ambassadors (MA), in short, is a committee of students dedicated to promote a wide and diverse range of music in Dulwich. Whether through organizing concerts tailored to different genres of student interests, or encouraging students to participate in various school events or workshops with outside guests, we are here to ensure the musical interests of each student is represented within the College and voiced out.
Credits: Director: Caitlin Ong Editor in Chief: Johnnie Yu Head Music Ambassador: Winston Zhao Media Manager: Mao Nakano Editors: Jack Low & Rachel Duan
2014 Marcato Press Team, The Music Ambassador Team
Marcato Press TABLE OF CONTENTS
Recapitulation PEGS Rolling Stones ISCMS
Page 4 Page 5 Page 6
Metronome Rock Band
Page 8
Breaking Out Of The Cage King Singers Justin Kim
Page 8 Page 9
Cue News & Updates
Page 10
3
Recapitulation PEGS
PEGS During the North meets South Concert 2013, the music department of Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, collaborated with the music department here at DCS to bring together a series of performances such as ‘Sleigh Bells’ from the DCS Senior Choir, ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’ from the classic 1979 musical thriller, by the PEGS Choir, and ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ and ‘Rienzi Overture’ performed with the combined effort from the DCS and PEGS Orchestras. Pieces from the sixties’ hit musical ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Farandole’a dance piece from L’Arlesienne Suite No.2 by the French composer Bizet were performed by the DCS Orchestra and the PEGS Orchestra respectively. Combined Chinese Ensembles from both schools also presented ‘Autumn Dream’, ‘Bow Dance’, ‘Horse Racing’ and the famous Chinese composition ‘Purple Bamboo Melody’ also known as ‘Zi ZhuDiao’. PEGS’ China Music Tour last December was a remarkable milestone for both the school itself and its music department
4
4
By Irene Zhou as it was the first international tour undertaken by the department. 62 students and 14 staff were drawn from the Chinese Orchestra, Senior Choir and Senior Orchestra on this tour. The students from both schools spent a Sunday afternoon socialising with each other and rehearsing pieces of music that both schools had been practicing for a few months in preparation for the special occasion on the upcoming Monday night. The PEGS Chinese Orchestra is thought to be the only one of its kind in an Australian school and some enthusiastic Dulwich Chinese ensemble members, Angelina, Yuqi and Celine joined them to bring the audience a selection of Chinese traditional music. Dulwich pianist, Mason Lee, was joined by Allen Xiao from PEGS and accompanied by a combined orchestra to present a heart-shaking symphony of an extremely high calibre. Collaborating with students from PEGS, Dulwich musicians experienced a fusion of different cultures, echoing the title of the concert, “North meets South”. The spectacular night of music ended with the Chinese classic, “Jasmine Flower”, a moment that all the musicians on the stage would remember.
Recapitulation Rolling Stones
Rolling Stones Deafening music, blinding lights and the thunderous applause of fifteen thousand people… Hearts racing and palms sweating, the Dulwich International Singers waited in anticipation backstage at the Mercedes Benz Arena, anxious to make their debut. Consisting of students, parents and teachers from Dulwich Colleges around China, The Dulwich International Singers led by Mr. Shane O’Shea and Mr. Tim Parker had the privilege of accompanying the one and only Rolling Stones in their hit single, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. On the 12th of March, 2014, the Rolling Stones performed in Shanghai for the Asian leg of their world tour. Known for incorporating blues into rock and roll, the Rolling Stones have become one of the most iconic and well-known rock bands in history. In their earlier years, the Rolling Stones
were noted for the long hair as much as their music, but have come a long way since then. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Their estimated album sales are above 250 million, and they have released twenty-nine studio albums, eighteen live albums and numerous compilations. Their lead singer, Mick Jagger, has even been knighted for his service music. Now in their 60’s and 70’s, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood danced and performed 19 songs to a roaring audience. Youthful at heart, the legendary band was full of energy and put on a stunning show to thousands of fans. Performing on stage with such musical revolutionaries was a once in a lifetime opportunity and the Dulwich International Singers worked tirelessly
By Caitlin Ong to make the most of it. Aspiring members of the choir either went through auditions or were hand picked to join and those who made it flew in from cities such as Suzhou and Beijing for long, grueling rehearsals on the weekends. When the long awaited day of the concert arrived, the Dulwich International Singers spent 12 hours at the venue preparing and rehearsing for the upcoming concert. To say that our nerves were sky high would be an understatement. When the time of our 7 minutes of fame came, we were greeted with a cacophony of applause as we entered the stage, because the audience knew exactly what was coming when they saw a choir. Through our earpieces, we heard our starting notes and a strong beat. We took a deep shuddering breath and sang the opening of the piece. Throughout the song, the Rolling Stones played at an arms’ reach away from us, and it was truly inspirational to see them still doing what they’re passionate about, even in their golden years. All of our hard work and effort paid off, as the night closed with a hysterical cheer and ecstatic applause at everyone’s tremendous effort. Even though each school went their separate ways, what we experienced that night will be forever engrained into our memories because while you can’t always get what you want, perhaps just this time, through a little luck and practice, you can get a little more than you wish for.
5
Recapitulation ISCMS
ISCMS
After months of practicing, we were finally there! The seventh annual International Schools Choral Music Festival (ISCMS VII) commenced on the 19th of February. It was a 4 day festival, with intense rehearsals every day. This was always a grand festival, and this year, it was Dulwich College Beijing that hosted this big event. Students and teachers from 20 schools all over the world participated. Straight after arriving in Beijing, we were sent off to rehearsals. We split into choir and orchestra and we had an afternoon of intense practice. The following days were packed with ten hours of rehearsal each day. All of us got tired of the music, after rehearsing for it for so long, but we kept on rehearsing, striving for perfection. Although it was very tiring, there was something waiting for us at the end, such as mini concerts.
6
On Thursday, the soloists, including Mr Parker from our very own school, held a small concert performing a few songs for us. The soloists performed with us in the performance of ‘Nelson Mass’ by Haydn. We were all amazed with the beautiful voices and were excited to perform with them on Saturday. The Berklee College of Music visited us on Friday and gave us a lecture about music. They gave us brief information on what courses are available at the Berklee College of Music, and what skills would be needed in order to do the course. This was a great opportunity for all of us, especially those wanting to go to a Music University. We were also visited by double Grammy Award Winner, Christopher Tin. He had composed a piece for us, ‘Temen Oblak’, which was going to be performed for the first time ever in the Gala Concert with him as the conductor. We all had a lot of fun with him, hearing his interesting and unforgettable childhood stories. It was an exceptionally tiring week for all of us, but all the work paid off. On Saturday, the Forbidden City concert hall was filled with talents and they were all showed off in the Gala Concert. It was the orchestra’s time to shine first and they did an amazing job with the Karl Jenkins’ Award Piece, ‘The Rise of the Trolls’, a piece composed by a student from HK participating
By Mao Nakano in ISCMS. The Jenkins Award was a competition open to any students from an ISCMS participating school. A composition from each school would be sent to Karl Jenkins, and he would decide on the best piece which would be performed at the next ISCMS. The orchestra performed another piece, ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ by Mussorgsky, which was also performed extremely well. Now came the ‘Nelson Mass’ composed by the famous Haydn performed by both the orchestra and choir. It was a very grand piece, with all the performers coming together. The evening came to an end with ‘Temen Oblak’, the piece composed especially for us at ISCMS by Christopher Tin. ‘Temen Oblak’ was a Bulgarian piece, which the singers struggled to sing but it ended up perfect, the ten hours of rehearsal really had paid off ! All the audience were stunned by the musical talent from all those at ISCMS and awarded us with a huge applause at the end. Finally, the worst part of the week had come, leaving Beijing. Although we were glad to escape from the horrible pollution in Beijing, we had all made some new and been reunited with our old friends. It was time to say our farewells to them, but we shall see them again next year, as we all look forward to ISCMS VIII, which will be held here, in Dulwich College Shanghai, our very own school!
Recapitulation Students Teaching Music In Nepal
Students Teaching Music In Nepal By Jack Low
In the summer of 2014, we received a suggestion from Mr. Peter Dalglish to teach music to underprivileged children in Nepal. Less than a year later, eight Singchronised members (from Singapore, China and Poland) gathered in Bandipur, Nepal to carry out a musical programme with the local community. It was a truly amazing week and one the students, volunteers, guides and ourselves will always remember.  As we arrived at the school, many of the Nepalese students had a curious and puzzled look on their faces as they did not know to who we were. Although they were a bit shy at first, everyone warmed up to each other in no time.  Every single time we went back up to where we stayed for the night, there were so many children accompanying us and they wouldn’t let go of our hands! In total, there were about thirty students in that primary school as well as ten older volunteers coming from other secondary schools. We decided to split them into different groups, and then each one of us would do our own songs with them. Besides teaching them pop songs such as Stand by Me, or Hallelujah, several groups also taught them nursery rhymes as the main purpose of the program was to find a way to inspire the community by teaching the children English and other skills through music and games. In fact, many of the children enjoyed running around outside to the tune of London Bridge as they tried to avoid the arm bridge formed by our members!
 In return, each of us learnt something of our own. I remember in time during the second day of our programme, a group of girls were in a circle playing a game. It looked interesting, so two of us decided to join in. One by one, all of us joined in, and some boys got dragged in it as well. By the end of the day, each one of us was in that circle watching the person in the middle hip dancing along with forty other people. We sang a Nepalese folk song, Resham Ferere, while dancing like crazy to the traditional drums and guitars and ukuleles in the background.  As the end of the week came, it was time to say goodbye. We donated toiletries, snacks, and stationery as parting gifts. Seeing how happy they were even though they had so little reminded us how important the smallest things are. We also raised USD 734 from sales of our first album in 2013, and this was donated to the school to help their efforts to expand up to grade 8. It was indeed a life-changing experience to be part of such a warm community. Thinking back to the very start, all this wouldn’t even have happened if we hadn’t meet Peter, and worked with Prabin, Bikram, and Candy, so a big shoutout to them for making this trip possible. It’s not just about being there and just teaching, but understanding and discovering the connections we made that really keeps the experience real and worth remembering.
7
Metronome Rock Bands
Rock Bands By Izzabella Fincher
“Rock and roll is here to stay.” This quote by famous rock singer Neil Young definitely pertains to our rock band programme at Dulwich. Every Tuesday and Friday afternoons after school, in the music corridor, you often hear loud music emanating through the corridors. Every room is filled with musicians and the bands even spill out into the hallway because everyone is so eager to be a rock star. At Dulwich, there are many student led and organized rock bands. From Year 7 to Year 13, students start their own bands and perform their favorite rock and pop songs. The rock band CCA is a good opportunity for students to learn the musical skills of working together in an ensemble. It is a chance for all musicians, including singers, guitarists, drummers, bassists, etc. to practice and later perform. Anyone who has the musical heart and interest can start a new band, or join an existing one. The Rock band CCA is important because it gives a chance for all students to participate in the music program at Dulwich, no matter what instrument or genre. For students who may not want to be a part of the classical music programs, it gives them the opportunity to perform different styles of music, including pop songs. Unlike the carefully structured and practiced instrumental training of classical instruments such as the violin, trumpet or cello, rock and roll is about rebellion and doing it your own
8
way. Students can learn guitar, bass, and drums on their own or with friends. Surprisingly quickly, they can make rock and roll and play their favorite songs. Who hasn’t sung their favorite song in the shower or in the car with the radio? Singing with your rock and roll band can make any young teenager feel like Mick Jagger or the most studious student can become a rapper for a few minutes. Whether to fulfill their dreams of being a rock performer, having a chance to perform, or just to impress their friends and annoy their parents, rock band CCA is fun and runs throughout the year. There are many opportunities for rock bands to perform during the school year, such as Winter Fair and Founders Day. These performances give students an opportunity to perform for their friends, teachers, and parents while showing off what they have worked on. Rock and pop is the music of now. By having rock band CCA, students can connect to music that is relevant to their lives. Rock band CCA on Tuesdays and Fridays is where every student becomes a rock star for now and makes memories forever. As the poet and rock singer Patti Smith sang, “So you wanna be a rock’n’roll star? So listen now to what I say. Get yourself an electric guitar and take some time and learn how to play.”
The King’s Singers
By Gavin Adams
On the 19th May, the King’s Singers came to Dulwich College Shanghai for a special performance as well as a workshop for choristers from the various Dulwich schools in Asia. The King’s Singers are a famous British acapella vocal ensemble that travels around the world, giving concerts in their tightly packed schedule, it was really exciting and we had the chance to work with masters and listen to their performance in our school. We were also joined by around 20 students from the other Dulwich colleges; Beijing and Suzhou, which some of us from Shanghai already knew and had befriended on various trips, such as ISCMS and the Dulwich Music Festival, so it was nice to see them once again. The combined choir of the various Dulwich Colleges prepared two songs, a popular piece by Billy Joel and a piece of sacred church music. We sang it for them, each for 30 minutes, and one of the members of the King’s Singers would comment and provide possible improvements. Overall, the workshop was very interesting because they told us to do things that we’d never done before in previous workshops, which was to sing without vowel sounds. Although we didn’t get to work very long with them, working together with the other people in the choir helped us learn how to blend better as a body. That very same night, they performed for us. Before the concert, I went to get some water for the King’s Singers and I had
a little chat with them. We mainly talked about how they got into music. Surprisingly, the bass told me that he didn’t even study music; he studied liberal arts in university. So, even though he didn’t study music as a profession, he still went into music and is making a living off it, which inspired me as well to do the same in the future. The concert itself was phenomenal. The difficult jazz harmonies combined with their perfect blend, pitch and dynamics sent chills down my spine. I liked how they did different songs from many places around the world, for example, they sang the most famous Chinese song ever known in history, Mo Li Hua, a Cantonese song, Shanghai Bund, some Beatles, a South American song, North American songs, French songs, etc. Their pronunciation of the different languages was also very good, which is reflective of the King’s Singers top-class quality. As their visit came to an end, I think each student learnt something from the workshop and the concert. All of the King’s Singers were very kind and very interesting to talk to and work with, especially when I asked them about their adventures as a King’s Singer. Seeing them travel around the whole world singing their wonderful arrangements of pieces is something I would also like to do in the future if I got the chance.
9
Justin Kim
By Mao Nakano
At the beginning of May, the DCS music department was once again busy with the Justin Kim Baroque Basics Workshop which was the first leg of a tour of the 7 Dulwich Colleges across Asia. Justin Kim is a countertenor with a rich and powerful voice. A countertenor is male who has a vocal range equivalent to that of a female alto or soprano. The event started off with vocal and string workshops taking place, conducted by Justin Kim himself. I took part in the vocal workshop and got a chance to perform a Baroque song to him, called ‘I attempt from love’s sickness to fly’. He gave me some tips when singing, such as to change my facial expressions as the mood of the piece changes, and to focus on one spot in front of me when performing. As soon as I followed his instructions, I instantly felt my singing and posture improve. The event concluded with a phenomenal concert, featuring a few soloists. It commenced with a piece performed by the Shanghai Baroque Orchestra, DCS Adult Choir, and students from both Senior and Junior School, titled ‘Come ye sons of Art’ written by Henry Purcell in 1964, in honor of the Queen’s birthday. This piece featured many soloists, including Justin himself, a few adult choristers and students from Senior school. The concert continued with more music from the Baroque period, and the many various talents of our school were constantly shown off. The audience was in awe of the quality of music produced and Justin Kim’s unique voice. We had worked tirelessly for 3 weeks prior to the concert, rehearsing our music to perfection, and our hard work really paid off. This was a very memorable event for me, and I had lots of fun in preparing and performing various pieces with Justin Kim.
10
Cue NEWS AND UPDATES While we may not be able to answer every question you have, we can tell you about Marcato Press. This magazine is not only just a journal detailing what the students have done and what’s coming up. It also gives readers and students a chance to interact with other aspects of music that the Music Ambassadors may not necessarily be able to give, such as for example, interviews from musical figures, performers, conductors and composers; possible prospective careers in music and music education; or tutorials on composition, electronic dance music and various other genres that can aid a student in need. Through the information provided in the magazine, we aim to strengthen our musical community as a whole by constantly providing new ideas. We are constantly trying to improve and open to any ideas, so if you have any comments or questions, feel free to ask or comment on what our school needs for music. We will do our best to bring it for you.
Contact Us Dear Readers,
Thank you for taking your time to read Marcato Press. As the Music Ambassa- dors group has just started up, we are more than happy to welcome new mem- bers into our team. If you are interested in joining, please drop us a email! Winston Zhao - winston.zhao@dulwich-shanghai.cn Johnnie Yu - runzhong.yu@dulwich-shanghai.cn
The Marcato Press Team
Upcoming Events ISCMS 2015
February 4th - 8th
ISCMS, the largest music festival of the asian region, is to be hosted in Dulwich College Shanghai in 2015, inviting over 250 participating students from over 25 different schools. ISCMS 2015 will feature An American in Paris by Gershwin as well as the renowned Mass in C minor, composed by Mozart.
Busking Corner Every Other Friday The busking corner is a casual and relaxed space where students of all skill levels are welcome to perform in. This happens once every two weeks, so if you would like to perform, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email.
11